Water-elevator.



- Patented Sept. 23 1902, L. WELLS.-

WAT ER ELEVATOR.

(Application filed Nov. 5, 1901.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

LUTHER WELLS, OF VERSAILLES, KENTUCKY.

WATER-ELEVATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 709,809, datedSeptember 23, 1902.

Application filed November 5,1901. Serial No. 81,214. (No model.-

to raise water therefrom, which water can be subsequently emptied into abucket, pail, or like receptacle, and as there are no pipes present, asin a pump, the water cannot freeze in winter nor when first drawn be tooWarm for use in summer, similar objections attending the use of chainelevators.

The improved device includes other objects and advantages, which, withthe foregoing, will be set forth at length in the followingspecification, while the novelty thereof will be covered in the claimconstituting a part of said specification.

The invention is clearly represented in the accompanying drawings,forming a partof this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a water-elevator including my improvements and showing thewater-lifting bucket in a well. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the Windlass.Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the bucket.

Like charactersrefer to like parts in all the figures.

The curb of a well is shown at 2, and a pillar or column, as 3, risesfrom said curb, and the latter sustains suitable mechanism, hereinafterdescribed, for elevating a bucket, as 4, from the well.

A post or upright is shown at 5, it having a transverse head or topstrip 6, the post being of a suitable height and being arranged inproximity to the standard or column 3, and the purpose of said post willbe hereinafter set forth.

The bucket 4 may be of any suitable material, shape, and size, it beingrepresented as of cylindrical form and having at its top the bail 7, towhich a rope, cable, or like connection, asS, is suitably fastened, saidrope being connected to a Windlass, wherebyit can be lowered into orraised from a well, as 9,

l which registers with an opening, as 10, in the curb 2, through whichopening said bucket is adapted to pass. The bucket 4 has a hole, as 11,in its bottom, which is adapted to be closed by a fiap or valve, as 12,suitably hinged to the upper side of said bottom, and a wire or rod, as13, is attached to the upper side of this valve or fiap and extendsupward therefrom and through a perforation, as 14, in the bail 7. As thebucket is lowered into the water in the well such water will force thevalve or flap upwardly, so as to enter the bucket, and when the latteris filled or partially filled it will be raised, and the weight of thewater in the bucket will hold the flap down or closed when said bucketpasses above the surface of the Water in the well. The rod or wire 13has a suitable handle, as 15, which may consist of a loop or eye andwhich when the bucket has passed above the curb 2 can be grasped to pullthe wire 14 upward for opening the valve or flap 12, so as to permit thecontents of said bucket to be emptied therefrom and into a water-bucketor like receptacle resting on the curb.

The standard or column 3 carries a frame or bracket, as 16, at its top,the latter having the side cheeks or plates 17 rigidly fastened in someconvenient way to the opposite sides of said column or standardandunited by the transverse bar 18. The cheeks or plates rotativelysupport the journals of a drum, as 19, around which the rope or cable 8,to which reference has been hereinbefore made, is wound a large numberof times. I employ a considerable quantity of rope, so that the bucketmay be lowered into a deep well. The rope 8 passes upwardly from saiddrum and over the guide-pulley 20, located above said drum androtatively supported between the arms 21, projecting upwardly andslightly outwardly from the cheeks 17, said arms converging toward theirtop. A second drum, as 22, is rotatively sustained between the cheeks17, one end of its shaft having a hand-crank 23, by which the drum 22can be readily actuated. The shaft of the drum 22 carries a gear 24,meshing with a pinion 25 on the shaft of the drum 19. By turning thecrank 23 the drum 19, through the intermediate gearing, can be operatedso as to wind the rope 8 thereon for the purpose of elevating the bucket4 or for lowering the same into the well, in accordance with thedirection in which said crank is moved. A rope or like device, as 26, iswound upon the drum 19 and is carried upward therefrom and over thegrooved pulley 27 at one end of the head or cross piece (i,downward andunderthe grooved pulley 28, located below the drum 1!), and then upwardagain and fastened to the head or cross piece 6 at the end opposite thatcarrying the pulley 27. The pulley 28 is carried in some suitable mannerupon the weight 29, which has, as will be evident, rising and fallingmovements during the descent and ascent, respectively, of the bucket 45,and it will be apparent that said weight by falling materially assiststhe operator in hoisting the filled bucket. By turning the crank 23 inone direction the bucket4 is caused to descend into the well, the rope 8being thereby unwound from the drum 19, while the rope 26 is wound onthe drum 22 during this operation, thereby lifting the weight, sothatsubsequently when the bucket is filled the weight by dropping willcause the rope 26 to be unwound from the drum 22, so as to furnish powerfor lifting the bucket 4 with the water therein.

I have described toothed gearing as constituting a suitable connectionbetween the drums 19 and 22; but this is not essential, for other means,such as sprocket-gearing, might be employed with equal advantage forthis purpose.

One end of the shaft of the forward drum l9 loosely carries an arm,as30,havinga wedgepiece, as 31, adapted to he thrust between the adjacentcheek 17 and said drum for the purpose of blocking the rotation of saiddrum when it is desired to maintain the bucket at any point in the well.hen the wedge-piece is lifted out of engagement with these parts, thedrum can be freely operated.

In pumps and chain-bucket elevators there is at all times a largequantity of water above the surface of the well, which in winter islikely to become frozen and in summer becomes so warm as to be unfit foruse for drinking purposes, the water in the last-mentioned case beingfrequently wasted. There is no waste of water in my elevator and nopipes in which the water can freeze. Said elevator is exceedinglysimple, it can be operated with ease and rapidity, it can be used withadvantage in very deep wells, and it secures saving in time and money.

Changes in structure may be made within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention, what I claim is- In a water-elevator,the combination of a standard, a bracket having side checks 01' platesrigidly fastened to the opposite sides of said standard, and atransverse bar united to said side checks or plates said cheeks orplates having upwardly and outwardly projecting arms, a drum supportedbetween said plates at the forward side thereof, a guidepulley supportedbetween said arms, a rope wound on said drum and extending upwardlytherefrom and then downwardly and passing over said pulley, a bucketcarried by said rope and having a valve, means for operating said valve,an arm loosely mounted upon the shaft of saiddrum having a wedge adaptedto be inserted between one end of the drum and the adjacent cheek orplate of said bracket, a weight provided with a pulley, a second drumalso supported between said checks or plates and operatively connectedwith the other drum and having a handcrank, a pulley supported abovesaid second drum, and a rope wound upon said second drum and extendingupward therefrom over said last-mentioned pulley and then downward andunder the pulley on said weight and then upward and fastening at asuitable point.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

LUTHER WELLS.

Witnesses:

D. L. THORNTON, FANNY TURNER.

